DO IT! : Races Will Put a Sparkle in the Fourth

Runners who want to celebrate Independence Day with a race will have a couple of choices Monday.

One is part of Huntington Beach’s Fourth of July festivities, which also include the city’s 90th annual parade and a fireworks show (story and listings, Pages 8-9). A 5K run/walk starts the day at 7:45 a.m., and an 8K run follows at 8:05 a.m. (A stroller and wheelchair division of the 8K starts at 8:03 a.m.)

The 5K is an addition to the annual 8K run. The shorter course--added so that more families can take part in the event--is a single loop along Main Street, heading south to a turnaround at Acacia Avenue and then north before turning around at Clay Avenue. The start and finish is at 17th Street, near Huntington Beach High School.

Meanwhile, the 8K takes runners on the same loop for one pass, then on a shortened loop for the final section. The course has been moved from years past.

Prizes will go to the top three finishers in each age group. Special prize divisions include Huntington Beach residents, runners with strollers, wheelchair athletes and corporate teams. All registered participants get a T-shirt and refreshments.

Most of the proceeds from the race benefit the parade, with a portion going to the March of Dimes.

Down in Laguna Niguel, the South Coast YMCA will offer its 16th annual Run in the Parks, with 10K and 5K runs starting at 7 and 8:15 a.m., respectively. Organizer Tom Ashen said that about 3,000 participants are expected, including serious and recreational runners as well as walkers.

Both courses in the scenic, early-morning event follow paved paths and roadways through neighboring Crown Valley Community Park and Laguna Niguel Regional Park. The courses are described as relatively flat, following creek beds and skirting a lake.